The Red Knight

by PhantomBulwark

Chapter 9: The Capture of Sunset Shimmer

Sunset hissed through her teeth as Dash prodded at her wound. Her armor had been stripped off by Pinkie’s gentle hands. She could not lift her right arm, Dash had needed to cut her tunic from her chest. Her shoulders were raw from the rubbing of her armor and the blows she had taken had done more damage than expected. Purple, black and red pulsing bruises littered her torso and blood was still steadily oozing from her side.

Dash’s expression was dark and focused. She was slowly pulling fragments of wood from Sunset’s ribs, her analytical eyes occasionally flickering to AJ who had not moved since they got to their tent. “You’ve done a lot of stupid things Sunset but this might be the worst,” she growled. “A half inch deeper and you’d be dead, suffocating on your own blood.”

Sunset gave a pained grunt as another long splinter was yanked from her skin, “I know.”

“You nearly gave your life to prove a point to a noble who was never going to care how brave you are.”

“I know.”

“You’ve lost and have nothing to show for it except pain.”

“I KNOW,” her pained gasping finally drew Dash’s attention to her face.

The last time that Sunset had cried, she’d been little more than a child. She had been helping Rainbow brush Ser Sunburst’s horse and had taken a nasty kick to the chest. She still had the scar in the center of her chest. Sunburst had heard her cries and had whipped her for waking him (and he’d gotten Dash and AJ for good measure).

Sunset had never cried after that. Not matter the beating, no matter the pain. Crying had never done her any good, it had only brought more pain.

She was crying now.

Dash swallowed, “you’re gonna be okay Sun.”

“I know I will,” she wheezed back, hastily rubbing at her eyes. “I have you guys.”

As Rainbow began the slow process of cleaning and stitching Sunset’s skin, Pinkie slipped away to forfeit the match officially. AJ, however, remained staring down at Sunset as if deep in thought.

“I knew a girl once…” Applejack said slowly, pulling up a loose barrel to sit next to them. “She was the personal tailor of lady Polomare up in Clydesdale. I loved her something fierce, still do love her really. Her father wanted to marry her to some Duke or other… Sunburst made us leave before I got the chance to tell her.”

“Wh-why’re you telling me this?” Sunset gasped, wincing at the tug of her stitches. “I should have listened to you AJ… I’m sorry.”

“I was wrong,” Applejack said firmly, reaching out and grasping Sunset’s shoulder gently. “I don’t want you to feel the way I do when I think of her. I want you to love and be loved in return, you deserve it. I’m sorry that I made this harder. Maybe she’s your one and maybe she ain’t but if you’re gonna get hurt either way… then I may as well be helpful instead of a stubborn brute about it.”

Sunset was opening her mouth to respond when the tent flap was swept open. Pinkie Pie came flying in, already tossing stuff into her bag. “We have to go!”

“Little busy here Pinks,” Dash snapped when she bumped past her.

“Lord Night has Sunset’s papers!” Sunset blinked as the words registered, time itself slowed to a crawl.

Pinkie was still packing. AJ was speaking but the words were muddled. Dash’s usually steady hands were shaking as she continued stitching just a hair faster than before. She heard only bits and pieces of what was said.

“Saddle… horses…”

“Arrested… hanging or… can’t let them…”

“run…”

“Run…”

“RUN!”

Flash came tumbling into the tent, the bridle of Sunset’s horse in hand. And time returned to normal. “No.” she said softly.

They all turned, their faces exposing their thoughts. It was Flash that was the first to find his tongue, “Sunset! We have to run. They’ll kill you!”

“You should go,” her eyes flickered from one of her friends to the next. This had been her plan, her dream, all of it was her. “All of you. Go. They aren’t after you, you’re negligible to them. This has Lord Night Light written all over it. Their- he’s after me.” Her eyes fixed on each of their devastated faces in turn. “I’m so-”

“Don’t you dare say you’re sorry Sunset Shimmer,” AJ snapped, “and don’t you dare try to send us away. I pulled you from that fire! I made you my kin! Dash and I gave you that name and we knew you’d do incredible things, and you have! Run or fight, I’m with you.”

Dash tied off the last stitch and stood, one hand resting on her dagger. “We’ve always been fighters Sunny. I see no reason to change that now.”

Sunset smiled but shook her head, “not today Dashie.”

“But then…” Pinkie hesitated, “what are we gonna do?”

“He wants to humiliate me,” she glanced at her company and drew in a breath. “He thinks by doing this he’s taking everything away from me. He wants me to act like a caged animal; like the peasants he so despises when he knows nothing about us… I will give him no such satisfaction.”

Sunset smiled sadly as they slowly strapped on her armor over a borrowed tunic. She smiled at Pinkie as the writer turned herald adjusted her pauldrons. She smiled at Rainbow as she snapped on her greaves. She smiled AJ who had combed her hair, and at Flash who was polishing her spear. And when she was dressed, she took her spear in hand to lean on, and together they strode into the fray.

They were set upon almost immediately by guards and true to form it did not go well.

Sunset had told them all to go quietly but it was not in their nature to retreat. The first wave was met swiftly by Rainbow’s dagger and Pinkie holding her walking stick like a staff. The second found Applejack to be far stronger than expected and Flash to be as quick as his name. It turned into a full-fledged skirmish from the moment one of them set his hands on Dash.

But they were outnumbered. For every one guard they escaped another three replaced him. When she saw them closing ranks to encircle her company, Sunset whistled loudly. “Stand down!”

The guard captain snarled beneath his helmet, “who are you to give orders here!?” He was right in her face, his sword unsheathed and pressed to her throat.

“No one,” she replied coolly, “I was speaking only to my company. I will go with you, quietly, if you release them. They know nothing of my deception and they are blameless. It is me your master is after.”

The man’s eyes widened ever so slightly and she thought she saw the faintest glimmer of respect in his eyes as he stepped back. “Release the squires, the herald… hell, release the boy. We’ve got what we came for.”

Sunset managed to give them a small, not at all reassuring smile, before a bag was thrust over her head and she was dragged away.

Comments

[Silverstone28001]

I have a feeling Sunset might be Luna’s niece. She might have a birthmark or the mark she had in her back from the fire might be a clue that she is from either high nobility or actually the lost Princess.

[PhantomBulwark]

11343474
I will neither confirm or deny anything I will simply say that I have... plans. The story is nowhere near complete.

Sunset 'the cinnamon roll' Shimmer must be tortured still further.

[Mr Lore miser]

11343474
Oh God I hope not if she's related to Luna or any nobility this will practically invalidate this chapter because it would typically prove night light right if she secretly nobility I would prefer that she isn't some type of secret nobility that she's a peasant girl who is this strong because of hard work and her talent not because she secretly a noble that's just my opinion on it

[Mr Lore miser]

And besides sunsets only mistake was believing in a canterlot Noble would keep the word when it doesn't benefit them

[Glutbier]

Ich hoffe auf für Sunset das beste!

[Revel Montaro]

Welllll... Shit. Knew it was coming and was still sad.

[PhantomBulwark]

Sorry for being MIA friends, I've been seeing someone new and she's been taking up quite a bit of my attention. But! I'm back now and working on the next chapter of our tale. I hope you'll join me for the next part of Sunset's story and that you enjoy what is to come.